Maggie's Public House
by trashytrashfan
Summary: The new valet at Downton Abbey has his eyes set on Anna but he lacks good intentions. When Anna becomes his victim, she needs to escape from his clutches. In the middle of the night, she leaves Downton Abbey forever and journeys to Scotland. No one knows her there so she can start her life over again. She takes up lodging in an inn owned by a mysterious yet alluring man
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note** : Hey everyone. This is my first Downton Abbey fic. Of course, I am a huge Banna fan! They're my favorite couple in the whole show followed by Sybil and Tom. This story is set after World War I in Scotland. It's an Alternate Universe story in which John Bates does not have a limp due to his time in the war but from something perhaps due to his dark past. The new valet at Downton Abbey is none other than the villain, Alex Green. Anna, unfortunately, still experiences assault and sexual violence against her by Alex but, since nothing keeps her at Downton and with the knowledge of something big that will affect her life, she makes a run for it.

 **Disclaimer:** Downton Abbey is not my own. These characters are the work of Julian Fellows.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

The shrill whistle of the train startled Anna awake. The events of the past few months and the stress surrounding her last remaining days at the estate, coupled with the rhythmic rumble of the train, had lulled her into a deep, much needed sleep. From the moment she got on the train in York, she had been unable to resist the lure of slumber. It was almost as if her body was letting her know it was time to relax; that the danger was behind her and she could finally breathe again.

It had been months since she had been able to rest fully, and she searched the train to make sure she was safe. Satisfied, she exhaled and relaxed her battered body as she wrapped her wool shawl tighter around her shoulders. Her tired blue eyes, surrounded by the fading reminder of bad days, slid shut into the first restful sleep she'd had since his arrival to Downton Abbey.

Now looking around the almost empty train car, Anna got up and grabbed her small carpet bag. She clutched it herself, as its few contents were the only things she owned in the world and made her way off the train onto the station platform. Night had settled on the tiny Scottish village, her new home, so the station was almost deserted save for the porter closing the car doors for the evening.

The young man was nearing Anna before she realized she had been lingering in the doorway of the train, stuck between her frightening past and the unknown future. She stepped out of his way as they exchanged polite smiles. The details of her departure had been carefully planned except where she would go once she reached Scotland. She had never been outside of her sleepy little York town, had never known a different world other than the one she just shamefully left behind. She was escaping cruel circumstances, a situation that she had never thought she would find herself in.

She used some of her savings to buy a third-class train ticket in York and thought she would try to find an inn to lodge in until she could secure work as a housemaid, laundress, barmaid, whatever would help her stay free and safe from her past.

Before the porter could shut the last door, Anna caught his eye and asked, "Excuse me, sir. Do you know of an inn that I may find lodging?"

The porter, an innocent young man in his late teens, began to tip his hat at her before he noticed the fading bruises over her face. Averting his eyes, he kindly replied. "Yes, ma'am. There's a small public house down the road, not far, called Maggie's. You can lodge there but I daresay it's closing soon so you'd better hurry," he gestured towards the entrance to the station.

Anna caught his reaction but nodded her thanks and gave him her sincerest smile. She would have to do something to help the bruises fade more quickly or else she'd risk suspicion. More suspicion than that of a single woman travelling alone to a new, unfamiliar town would certainly raise.

She followed his directions out of the station and began the short trek down the road to the pub. The chilly winter air spurred her steps. She could see a faint light in the distance and saw the worn sign swaying gently above the door. As she neared the stone building, she realized she may not have planned this as carefully she thought she had. What would her story be? Would she use her real name? Lying seemed like the best possible course of action but could she keep it up? After what had happened, she extinguished the light within. She wouldn't get close to anyone nor would she be so gullible into thinking there was good in the world. This would be hard for her. It went against her very nature, but she affirmed this would be the only way to protect herself in the future. But would her kind, loving ways win out? Would she be able to keep up the walls and the lies? She decided white lies wouldn't hurt and she sure was sure no one would look for her here.

The street to the pub was quiet and the little village seemed to be settling itself in for the night. She could see remnants of its daytime life all around her, but the silence of the night was falling around the street like a blanket. She could see her breath as she picked up her pace to get to the pub before it closed. Almost as if a switch had been flipped, the temperature dropped even lower and her cheeks flushed a brilliant red in response to it. Her coat doing little to protect her from the elements.

She reached the pub and the bells on the door jangled softly against the old wood, the warmth from inside was inviting. The room was small but then she supposed that was fine since this wasn't a large village. There were a few tables and chairs in the middle of the room and a few barstools by the bar in the corner. The windows looked old, in fact the whole place looked like it had been standing for hundreds of years. The furniture was mismatched and worn but it worked. There was a family photo on the wall opposite of the door. It was of a young family: a mother, father, and young son most likely. The man had his arms around the woman in a loving embrace while the young son stood proudly in front of them, a large smile on his face.

Anna sighed looking at the photo and placed a hand on her stomach. It was far too early to show but she knew she was expecting. She was two weeks overdue for her monthly and had hatched her plan of escape when she realized it wasn't just her that would be tormented by his hands.

She wanted to break down in a fit of sobs for the torment she was feeling was ripping her apart inside. She was unwed, scared, alone, and having his baby. The hand that life dealt her had never been easy to play but she thought she had faced the last of her hardships when she first went to Downton. She thought happiness was on the horizon. Without her permission, a few tears slid down her face and she was trying to wipe them away when she heard a voice behind her.

A man had come up from the cellar at the sound of the bells and saw a petite blond woman standing in the middle of the pub looking travel weary and downtrodden. "Evening miss," his deep voice startled her, and he backed up a little bit to give her some space. "Sorry to startle you." He had a rag slung over his shoulder and there was something familiar about his eyes.

"No, no need to be sorry. I should be apologizing to you. Are you closed? I'm sorry to bother you but I was hoping you had a room available," Anna suddenly felt exhausted. She shifted her carpet bag to her left hand in time to stifle a large yawn with her right one.

"Just about," he said walking around to the other side of the bar. She followed him over, sitting down on one of the barstools. He took a good look at her now. She was petite with pale skin, her hair done in a simple bun, and breathtakingly beautiful. The faded yellow and green bruises caught his attention, but he fought the curiosity, and abject horror, bubbling in him. He put down the rag and picked up a large ledger book. "You're in luck. We have a room available."

The relief in her eyes when he confirmed an available room was palpable and he saw her shoulders relax a little. "Would you like some help with your bag?" He extended his hand to grab take it from her, but she stepped back, nervous like a cornered animal.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." She pulled herself up and made her back stiff. His display of kindness reminding her of her protective walls. He shrugged at her insistence and bade her to follow him through the pub and up the narrow stairs to the second floor.

It was a quick trip up to the second floor and the walls on the stairs were lined with a few more pictures but Anna didn't have the energy, or desire, to stop to look at them. They would most certainly be photos of a family. A family she didn't come from and would never have herself.

The barman led her down a small hallway illuminated by soft lights. He stopped in front of the last door on the left and took out a set of keys to begin unlocking the door. Anna watched him locate the right key and took stock of his presence. If she was in a position to notice, she would acknowledge that he was very handsome. He was tall, certainly taller than her, with broad shoulders and a strong back and arms. Likely due to lifting large kegs and keeping out the riffraff that usually accompanied pubs. He had short brown hair, hazel eyes, and a little bit of stubble on his face. He was older than her but that was alluring, if she allowed herself to think it.

It was during the trip upstairs Anna noticed his gait. It looked as though he had an injury that had caused him to have a slight limp. Anna thought to herself how painful it must be but she quickly pushed those thoughts aside in favor of ones of admiration: he seemed to be managing quite well.

The lock opened with a soft click. "There we are, miss," he stepped back from the door to allow her space inside. "The bathroom is the first door on the right," he gestured to a door they had passed. "I'll come back with a key to your room. I left the spares downstairs." She gave him a smile as a way of thanking him and watched him walk back down the short hallway.

Anna entered the small room and closed the door behind her. It wasn't much but it was enough. There was a small bed in the corner with a little chest of drawers on the wall underneath a window. A small basin was resting on top of a beautiful lace doily. Next to the bed was a small nightstand with a large, partially burned candle. Anna put her carpet bag down on the floor and laid down on the bed. It was softer than she was expecting, and she could tell the big quilt would keep her warm during the cold nights to come. She let her eyes flutter closed a little bit but opened them not a moment later when she heard the soft knock on the door.

Sighing, Anna got up and answered it knowing it would be the barman with the key. She opened the door slightly and saw him standing there, his presence calming her and securing her for some unknown reason.

"Here we are, uh," he paused, "I'm sorry. I never got your name," he passed her the key through the gap in the door.

The wheels in Anna's head began spinning out of control. She had decided upon white lies but were they really necessary? She didn't know this man, but he possessed a certain trustworthiness she couldn't place. But that had been her problem with _him_ before, hadn't it? She couldn't trust _him_ because she didn't sense that she couldn't. Her gut lied to her before and she wouldn't be its victim now. Resolving to stick to fibs, she looked into his eyes and introduced herself.

"Elsie Carson," she stuck her little hand through and took the key.

"I'm John. John Bates. Breakfast is from 7 to 8:30 and don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything." He pointed above their heads, "my room is just upstairs."

She gave him a small, kind smile. "Thank you, Mr. Bates. I will. Have a good night."

"Goodnight, Elsie." He stepped back to let her close the door.

He stared at the door for a moment, not sure how to feel about this mystery woman showing up in the night, alone, looking small and disheveled. He knew what his baser instincts were feeling; she was beautiful and whatever caused those ungodly blemishes made him feel a simmering anger that he had worked hard to tamper down.

He also couldn't figure out what made her lie about her name. He surmised that it had something to do with her situation, but it certainly wasn't his business as she was only a lodger. John decided it was too late to ruminate on such things especially when he had a bit more work to do before turning in for the night. He set off for downstairs to finish cleaning and locking up. The day had been quiet but steady and it had finally come to an end. Though, he suspected that with his new guest, the days would become a lot more interesting.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Stay tuned.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Welcome back! Please enjoy this chapter.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Downton Abbey.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Morning came too quickly, and Anna could sense the day would be bustling and demanding as it usually tended to be with three young ladies to dress and a large estate to tend to. Sitting up, with a tiny groan, Anna tossed back the covers and put her feet on the chilly floor. Her long blond hair had made its nightly escape from her carefully styled braid and her thick nightgown was looking worse for the wear. Pushing frivolous thoughts aside of a new nightgown, Anna quickly dressed into her maid's uniform and headed downstairs to the servant's halls for a spot of breakfast before conquering the undone tasks that awaited her.

It was barely 6:30 in the morning but she could already hear Mrs. Patmore laying into Daisy, the new kitchen maid. Mrs. Patmore's bark was worse than her bite, Anna would know after having worked near her for many years, but Daisy a sweet young girl who only wanted to do the right thing, so this reaming would certainly spur her work ethic harder.

Anna swept past the kitchen and into the servant's hall for a bite of toast and a cup of tea. In her haste, she didn't see the person in her way and barreled into their back causing them to drop their bags on the floor.

"Oh, heavens! I am sorry, I didn't see you there," Anna bent down to gather up the dropped items, placing them back into their owner's arms. The bag belonged to a good-looking man with brown hair and nice eyes. He smiled gently and took the bag back, politely declining her apology with a wave of his hand.

"Anna! Do be more careful," Mrs. Hughes gently chastised her but gave her a sweet smile to make up for it. "This is Mr. Alex Green, Lord Grantham's new valet." Anna's eyes moved from Mrs. Hughes' back to Mr. Green's.

She stuck her hand out, "I'm Anna Smith, head housemaid. It's good to meet you." She flashed him her sweetest and most welcoming smile.

Mr. Green took her hand, "It's nice to meet you as well, Miss Smith. I'm honored to be here, this is the biggest house I've ever worked in." He shifted his eyes around to address both women but couldn't help but to draw his gaze back to Anna.

Anna paid his attention no mind because she didn't even realize he was slightly leering. She simply continued to smile and told him if he needed anything to let her know. She'd been at Downton Abbey for a few years now and had come to be seen my many of the staff, and family, as a loving, kind, and caring woman to everyone.

"Mr. Green is going to take the day to get used to the house and then will help Lord Grantham with dressing this evening," Mrs. Hughes informed Anna. She opened her mouth to continue on but a loud clang and harsh voices came from the kitchen. Mrs. Hughes closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. "Poor Daisy," she shook her head at Anna and excused herself to deal with the first brawl of the day.

Anna and Mr. Green were left standing in the servant's hall with the last of the other staff trickling out to attend to their daily duties. They exchanged a look after Mrs. Hughes. Anna assured him, "Mrs. Patmore's bark is worse than her bite. But if you're on her good side, she'll love you fiercely."

He nodded, "I'll keep that in mind. You must know everyone and everything here." His voice took on a flattering tone but, again, Anna overlooked it. She chalked it up to kindness and first day jitters.

She smiled again and sat to pour herself a cup of now lukewarm tea. "Don't worry, Mr. Green, you'll pick everything up in no time. Where were you before here?" She gestured for him to sit down next to her and he did, setting his bag by his feet.

He poured a cup of tea for himself, his hand slightly brushing hers as he reached for the teapot. They shared a little smile before he answered her question. "I was in a small house in London, but my employer has passed away."

Anna gave him a kind, sympathetic look, "I'm so sorry to hear that. Were you with him long?"

"Almost ten years," Mr. Green took a sip of his tea and placed the mug back on the table. "His death was certainly unexpected. He was a miser of a man at times but he wasn't totally lacking compassion."

Anna was about to respond when the bell rang for Lady Mary. She looked up at it and back to Mr. Green. "That's Lady Mary. I've got to go," she got up from the bench and Mr. Green politely stood up with her. "It was nice to meet you. Let us know if you need any help."

Mr. Green smiled and thanked her again, "You're my go to now." He shook her hand again and watched her rush upstairs to wait on the Grantham daughters. He kept his smiling façade in place for as long as he could but he let the mask slip a little as soon as he was alone in the hall. Anna Smith, he thought, was just his type.

* * *

Once upstairs, Anna set straight away to dressing Mary, Edith, and Sybil. All three young ladies were coming into their own and all three were beautiful and elegant in their own unique ways. Mary was strikingly beautiful with dark eyes and sharp wit. Edith and Mary fought like cats and dogs. The tension between them thick at the best of times but Edith held her own when it mattered. She had blond hair, pale skin, and lovely blue eyes. She was a kind soul, really. Sybil, the youngest, was sweet and had a lovely long, round face. Her eyes were gentle, but she wasn't a shrinking violet. Lord and Lady Grantham were lucky to daughters like them.

Anna finished putting the finishing touches on Lady Mary's long hair. Edith and Sybil were dressed, waiting for their sister to finish. Edith gave a quick roll of her eyes when Mary fussed a little bit about how her hair was setting. Anna merely gave a patient smile and fixed what displeased Lady Mary.

"Anna, you don't always have to do what she wants you to," Edith said with a smirk. "Your work is lovely. Mary's just fussy." Mary rolled her eyes at Edith, preparing a barb that was lingering on the tip of her tongue.

Anna jumped in and gave a knowing smile to Lady Edith. "I want you all to look and feel like your best selves, milady." Anna swept back and pinned the last bit of Lady Mary's hair, "Besides, it's no trouble at all." She set back and looked at her handiwork while Lady Mary performed the inspection.

"Don't mind her, Anna" Lady Mary drawled. "She's only upset that she was passed over. Again." Lady Mary smirked in Edith's direction only to be met with an eye roll and a gentle scolding from Sybil.

"Mary, please. Not today," Sybil chastised. She closed her book and stared between her sisters. "Let's be civil today."

"I am nothing if not civil," Mary quipped back, "tell it to Edith." Mary waved her hand in Edith's direction as if she was a frivolous nothing. Sybil sighed, she'd get nowhere with them. At least not today. She collected her book again and stood up to head downstairs for breakfast.

Anna bid the Ladies goodbye and gathered up their old nightclothes to take to the laundry. She'd come back up and do their beds once she had stored their gowns from the previous evening. It was simply another day of hard work and little rest, but she didn't mind at all. Anna enjoyed staying busy and feeling accomplished. She set off for downstairs hoping to run into Gwen, her roommate and another housemaid. Doing the bedrooms would be faster with her so she was hoping she'd be able to wrangle her help.

* * *

The evening came quickly, even dinner had passed by in a flash and Anna had no idea how exhausted she was until the clock rang out at 9 PM. The girls would surely want to retire soon but until then, Anna needed to try to salvage a pair of Lady Sybil's shoes. They had been horribly covered in mud which was suspicious as Gwen's maid shoes were also filthy. Anna paid no mind to any potential connection and collected the shoes and headed over to the boot room. Inside was all the shoe cleaners and lots of space to spread out. Besides, it was not done to clean shoes at the dining table.

Anna set the shoes down on the work bench and began to gently and carefully, so as not to rip or disturb the fabric, brush off some of the caked-on mud. Then, she readied the cleaning solution and got a wet rag. She found herself in a rhythm and had one shoe cleaned when the door to the boot room opened. Coming out of her daze, Anna looked up to see Mr. Green. They exchanged pleasantries and Anna noticed that Mr. Green had a few pairs of Lord Grantham's more clever looking shoes in his hands.

"Those'll take some time. Want me to help? I'm almost finished with Lady Sybil's shoes," Anna gestured to the nearly clean twin of the pair. "It's no trouble at all," she affirmed when Mr. Green gave her a skeptical look.

"If you insist," he chuckled. He set down a pair across from her and began to wax a black pair of loafers. "It's true what everyone says about you," he said with a smile after some time had passed.

Anna stopped her ministrations on the shoes and gave him a confused look. He chuckled at the face she made. "Everyone has only the nicest things to say, don't worry."

Anna blushed a little bit. While it was true she was kind, she didn't do it for herself. She was kind because the world needed it and it was in her very nature to be helpful and compassionate to anyone who needed it.

Mr. Green hoped his smile would help her relax a little bit. He noticed that, whenever he saw her during the day, she seemed to be too serious and tense. He wanted to help her loosen up. It seemed that laughter was doing the trick. "It just makes me glad to have a friend like you."

"Mr. Green, you're a regular flatterer you are," Anna laughed a little bit and went back to cleaning Lord Grantham's riding boots. They were worse for the wear after a long day of riding and Anna knew how long it had been since Lord Grantham had a proper valet, so she wanted everything to be ship shape for him as he was a most generous employer.

"Just telling the truth, that's all," he placed his hands up in a self defense type of way and shrugged his shoulders. "But can I ask you a question?" His tone turned a little serious and it sounded like he needed to discuss something.

"Of course, Mr. Green," Anna had finished cleaning the riding boots and was putting them away for safe keeping. Locks of Anna's hair had begun to fall out of her expertly styled bun, framing her face just so. She had a slight look of exhaustion but the glow from the dim lights in the boot room made her look ethereal.

Mr. Green simply stared for a few moments before managing to collect himself. "Uh, what? Oh yes! Now, I've only been here a day but what is there to do for fun? London was full of fun but here it seems so _boring_." He dropped his voice a little conspiratorially, certainly hoping to find Anna in agreement with his feelings about Downton.

Anna prickled a little bit as she loved working at Downton and living in the countryside. "Downton is what you make of it, Mr. Green." She gave pointed, albeit good-natured look, "And I happen to love it here. Besides, the county fair is coming up next week, so we will be plenty busy with that. Lord and Lady Grantham let us all go out in the evening to enjoy it."

Mr. Green could sense he stepped over the line a little bit and had reached out his hand to hers by way of apology when the door to the boot room suddenly opened and looming Mr. Carson stood in its doorway.

"Anna," Mr. Caron's deep voice addressed her, "the young ladies are ready to retire for the evening." He delivered the message and stood up straight. Anna looked at the clock in the boot room but didn't realize how late it had gotten, almost 10:30 PM!

"Yes, Mr. Carson. Thank you," Anna bowed her head and bid goodnight to them both. Her blond hair bobbing out of site down the corridor.

Mr. Green watched her go and Mr. Carson watched him. "Mr. Green, since you are new here, it is my duty to remind you to be respectable and that there is to be no fraternizing whatsoever." Mr. Carson gave Mr. Green a stern look hoping it lacked any subtlety.

"Certainly, Mr. Carson. We were simply having a friendly conversation," Mr. Green lightly defended. "She was only showing me the ropes."

"And that is all you will see from her, Mr. Green," Mr. Carson turned on his heel and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Mr. Green sneered at the door for a few moments, contemplating the old man's behavior. Alex Green would do what he wanted when he wanted, Charles Carson be damned. Anna Smith needed a little fun in her life and he was just the man for it.

Mr. Green cleaned the last pair of shoes in silence before heading up stairs to undress Lord Grantham. He'd just to have to find a way to get Anna alone. He slipped back on his mask and went upstairs, ideas for Anna swirling in his head.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Wow! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story. It means a lot to me, so I hope I don't let you down. Lemacd made a good suggestion to delineate between past and present at the beginning of the chapter. Chapter One is the present and Chapter Two is the past. I'm planning on switching between the two but possibly not in any consistent pattern, so it would help the reader to note that at the start. I am open to ideas and other critiques so please feel free to share. I don't think I write dialogue well, to be honest, and I couldn't think of a good enough title for the story.

I should also say that this story is going to completely gloss over Anna's season 5 confession to John that she had been previously abused prior to working at Downton Abbey. I don't think John had a great reaction to this in the show meaning he wasn't as comforting and sympathetic as I thought he should be given that his wife, who is in jail, just told him she had experienced sexual assault as a young woman. That is really one of the only things I don't like about the entire series, to be honest. I'm sorry if this bothers some readers.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Downton Abbey.

 **Chapter Three**

 **Present**

* * *

Anna vaguely registered the events of the last day as the rays from the early morning sun filtered into the room she was renting. Her body was warm due to the thick quilt blanket which looked lovingly handsewn with thick, rich fabrics. Perfect technique, she thought to herself as her fingers ran over the quilting. Whoever made it was skilled and thoughtful.

Anna rolled over a little on the soft mattress for a moment only before realizing a dream had come true: she woke up naturally! She didn't greet this day with a knock on her door from Daisy or a tired yawn from Gwen. She woke up when her body told her to wake up! This was something she could get used to. She closed her eyes at the thought of enjoying a day or two more waking up when her body felt like it and snuggled back into the pillow. But her eyes quickly flew open in a moment of panic.

With no time to grab her shawl, she bolted from her room and ran down the hallway to the bathroom. Mercifully, she found it unoccupied and she emptied her stomach into the toilet. Her world was spinning around her, her stomach performing aerials. This was certainly a surer sign of her pregnancy than missing her cycle had been. She groaned against the toilet and reached up to pull the chain to flush it. She pulled herself to the sink and swished some water in her mouth and spit it out. The acidic taste burned her throat.

She wanted to break down in tears. Looking at herself in the mirror, she realized for the first time she wasn't the same woman anymore. The woman she used to be was gone forever. Of course, after his first attack, she registered somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind that she was changed. She was soiled for anyone who would come along. It wasn't just her virtue that had been altered, it was her soul.

Mr. Green slowly built up towards Anna. He was testing the waters, so to speak, and had found that the more Anna became repulsed by him, the more she drew away, the more he wanted to push the limits. Anna held back some bile that had risen in her throat and she wasn't sure if it was due to remembering Mr. Green's actions or her morning sickness.

Anna stiffened her quivering mouth, pushed back her tears, and squared her shoulders in a newfound resolve. She had to save herself and the life of her unborn baby. She would need to be the sole breadwinner and she would need to be strong for her child. Anna opened the door to the washroom and made her way back to her room.

Inside, she pulled on her warm but simple dress and smoothed her hair into a polished bun, hoping she didn't look like she'd just been sick. Her stomach grumbled slightly as she was pulling on her boots and she remembered what Mr. Bates had told her about breakfast. She checked the small traveling watch in her purse and saw she wasn't too late to grab a nice cup of tea and something to settle her churning stomach. Resolving to let this day be the first day of the rest of her new life, Anna marched downstairs with a determined spring in her step.

* * *

John was up with the dawn. He had been that way since he was a young lad. His time in the military drilled into him the early bird gets the worm. Though John wasn't as young, or nearly as motivated, as he had been in his youth, he was still nothing if not dedicated to his work. There were simply too many chores a pub owner had that couldn't go undone and getting an early start certainly helped him tackle the day.

John could tell that his leg wasn't going to go easy on him now that the colder weather was approaching. His leg had been nagging at him the last few days but there was no rest for the wicked. John chuckled at the irony. As soon as his eyes opened in the morning, he put his feet to the floor and his mind and body to work.

He dressed quickly in a pair of brown, worn corduroy trousers and layered a cotton shirt over a thick wool one and put on the warmest socks he owned. His old boots stood sentry by the door until John slipped his feet inside and tied them up. He stopped by his washroom to freshen himself up and made his way downstairs.

John lingered on second floor landing for a moment watching Anna's door. It He hoped it was far too early for her to be awake. It was not unusual for John to suffer from the occasional bouts of insomnia, but he tossed and turned last night thinking about this mysterious young woman who had shown up on his doorstep. Her need for a room wasn't unusual as John owned the only public house and inn in this small Scottish village. It was her demeanor, and the fact that she lied about her name, that caused John to wonder if there was more to this Elsie Carson, or whatever her real name was, than she was letting on.

The landing was quiet, and her door remained steadfastly closed. John didn't want to be caught lurking around by her. She seemed standoffish enough, he didn't want to frighten her completely.

He turned his body and mind towards the work ahead of him and trudged down the stairs to put the kettle on.

It was a little after 7 AM when John took the tea tray laden with toast, fresh butter, and jam out from the kitchen and into the pub. He placed it on the bar and set up the sugar and milk for the tea. He fixed himself a quick cup, drained it, and placed it back behind the bar to clean later.

The days were getting shorter and colder, so John needed to prepare a large wood pile to get the pub through. At peak times, the bodies of the patrons kept the cozy little centuries old stone building warm and toasty and he wasn't fussy about being cold, except when his leg acted up, so it was no trouble for him to pile on a warm sweater. But he wasn't sure how long his guest would be staying, and she looked too petite to generate any warmth for herself, so he hastened his pace to conquer the mounting stack of wood as quickly as possible.

* * *

Anna's eyes lit up at the sight of the stack of toast and fresh butter. She set to buttering a one piece but decided two would keep her fuller longer. She piled on some jam and made herself a cup of tea. Like the quilt in her room, the cup and saucer were beautiful. Certainly, very different than what she was used to in the servant's hall back home. Back at Downton, she corrected herself. She took a sip of tea and found, to her surprise, it was still a little hot. That had to mean that Mr. Bates had just made it. She looked around for a moment and tried to listen for him, but she couldn't see nor hear him.

Thinking of the servant's hall sent a shiver down her spine. That was where _he_ started to make her uncomfortable. Shaking her head of those thoughts, after all she was leading a new life now, she finished the tea and gobbled up the two pieces of toast before helping herself to another cup of the strong tea.

Sitting at the bar and enjoying her tea was one the second most relaxing moment of the day. The first having been waking up naturally, of course. Anna closed her eyes and put her hands around the cup letting the warmth of the tea penetrate her being. She tried to clear her mind but a constant thwack, thwack, thwack was echoing from somewhere outside and she was starting her to lose her meditative focus.

She finished the cup and put it down. Maybe Mr. Bates would allow her to do some cleaning and waitressing around the pub in exchange for a few more nights of lodging. She had enough money for another three or four days but after that she would need to secure her own place to stay.

There was a door behind the bar that Anna hadn't notice the night before, so she opened it and went outside. It led to a sizeable back yard surrounded by a low wooden fence. There was a small garden to the side but most of its contents had been picked over and, way in the back, she could see Mr. Bates chopping wood. The sound of the axe against the wood as he cleaved two pieces in half was what had caught her ear and now she found herself openly staring.

His back was to her and despite his rugged coat, she could sense the power in his every move. He picked up another piece of wood, placed it on the stump, and brought the axe high over his head to get a decent downswing to split it in half. He did this half a dozen more times and Anna stared, her eyes transfixed on him. He was certainly strong and powerful. Anna's mouth opened a little bit, but the last thwack of the wood brought her back to her senses.

She shook her head to clear her mind and reminded her about the wall. She needed to stay behind it, protected. She watched him throw more of the split halves onto a growing wood pile and was about to say something when he turned and smiled at her.

"Good morning, Ms. Carson. How was your room?" He dropped the axe and wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. Despite the chilly air, he had built up an exertion and it showed.

Anna stared at him for a brief second. Ms. Carson? And then it hit her, she wasn't Anna Smith to him. She was Elsie Carson now and forever.

"Very well, Mr. Bates. Thank you. The quilt in that room is so beautiful and warm," she gave him a polite smile. It did not quite reach her eyes but her sentiments were genuine.

"I'm glad to hear it. My mother made it. In fact, she made all the quilts in the inn. She was very accomplished and even experienced seamstresses came from all over to see her work." The pride was evident in his voice as he returned her smile.

She nodded at that, amazed by what a loving and proud son his mother had grown to raise. If she was carrying a boy, she could only pray that he would one day be proud of her, too. She wasn't entire surely what he might be proud of for she had not done anything worthwhile but perhaps there could be a day when her son spoke highly of her, too.

"I came to look for you to get some information, actually. I was hoping you'd be able to point me in the right direction."

John looked surprised, "Of course. I'm happy to help in any way that I can."

Anna breathed a little bit of relief that didn't go unnoticed by him. John had time all morning to give more thoughts to this very unexpected lodger. He knew she was lying about her name, but he couldn't truly determine why but he knew that people most often lied about their names because they were running from something or trying to hide from somebody. He couldn't come right out to ask her because he didn't want to scare her away or ruin her potential hiding place. But he did feel some honesty was in order. She was lodging in his pub and inn and who knows what manner of man or beast was coming after her. John only wanted to be prepared. If not for him but for his livelihood.

There was no denying he thought that Anna was beautiful. She was a petite woman with deep blue eyes and had a gentle prescience about her. There didn't seem an unkind bone in her body. The faded bruises on her face were more noticeable in the light of day and, the mere sight of them gave him even more reason to get the story straight. No decent man would lay his hand on a woman. Even John, in his darkest moments, had never thought to strike his ex-wife, Vera. His chosen weapon were his biting words. No, he knew that whoever did that to this poor woman in front of him was a wild animal not fit for living. The protective feeling from last night swelled a little in his chest before he reminded himself he couldn't fight an enemy he didn't know. She would have to tell him the truth, at least what her real name was if she didn't want to bare her secrets in his backyard for the world to see.

Anna stepped a little closer, appearing as meek as she could and brought her hands together, wringing them nervously. "I'm in need of a job, Mr. Bates. I used to work as a housemaid in London," another lie," but I've had to leave. Please don't ask me why." She kept her eyes down not wanting to see his curiosity or his pity or the disappointment when he said he didn't know how to help her. "Are you in need of a barmaid? I can pour, wash, cook, sew, scrub. Anything."

He took in her defeated stature but heard the determination in her voice. "I won't ask you why you had to leave. It's your secret to tell if you want and we just met. And as it just so happens, I am in need of some help around here. But before I agree, there is something you must tell me."

Anna looked up at him, "Of course. Anything."

John assessed her a bit and a little blush formed on her cheeks. Anna was sure he couldn't be leering _in that way_ but his scrutiny was almost unbearable. She quickly thought about how she must be looking to him. A small, weak, desperate little mouse with no where to go begging for a job. Of course, that was not what John saw. He saw kindness and resilience in the face of an unknown, to him, adversity. He saw a woman, alone, in need of the help to make her strong again.

He caught her eyes with his, "You can stay here in exchange for work if you tell me what your real name is."

* * *

 **Stay tuned!**


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